Not on display

Length

ca. 1970 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Blue and white cottons such as this originated in rural areas of China, away from the urban mainstream. Resist-dyed textiles come from several different provinces of China, their patterns being produced by covering a portion of the cotton with a substance that resists the liquid colouring matter when the cloth is immersed in the dye bath. When the resist is washed off, the design is revealed in white against a blue ground. This piece shows one popular design of spots and swirls.

Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Resist-dyed cotton
Brief description
Length of cotton, white resist dyeing on a blue cotton ground, China, ca.1970
Physical description
Cotton cloth with a design of solid scrolling shapes and small dots forming circles and diamonds resisted in white against a blue ground.
The resisting substance is likely to have been wax, as used by non-Han people living in southwestern China.
Dimensions
  • Length: 94cm
  • Width: 88cm
Gallery label
A border enclosing a central pattern is typical of cotton cloths from southwest China. The borders are sometimes omitted from commercial pieces made in small factories. Factory-made panels also utilize repeat designs.
Credit line
Addis Bequest
Object history
These blue and white cotton pieces (FE.97 to O-1983) were loosely wrapped in paper from the Peking Arts and Crafts Shop and it may be that all of them were purchased there rather than in the areas of manufacture.

Registered File number 1965/3344.
Summary
Blue and white cottons such as this originated in rural areas of China, away from the urban mainstream. Resist-dyed textiles come from several different provinces of China, their patterns being produced by covering a portion of the cotton with a substance that resists the liquid colouring matter when the cloth is immersed in the dye bath. When the resist is washed off, the design is revealed in white against a blue ground. This piece shows one popular design of spots and swirls.
Bibliographic reference
Wilson, Verity, 'A Diplomat's Collection: The Chinese Textiles of Sir John Addis' in Arts of Asia vol. 33 no. 2, 2003 pp.90-101, Plate 18
Collection
Accession number
FE.97H-1983

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdFebruary 12, 2000
Record URL
Download as: JSON